WADERS AND SWIMMERS. 361 



are also highly interesting. Of these a few may here, 

 be referred to. The Sheldrake is a very handsome 

 bird, belonging to this family, and very common 

 on some of our shores, where it builds its nest in 

 old rabbit holes. The body of this bird is diver- 

 sified with patches of chestnut, white, and black ; 

 its bill is bright red, its head is glossy green, and 

 its legs are flesh coloured. The Scoter is another 

 familiar bird on some of our coasts, but it differs 

 much from the sheldrake, being uniformly black 

 in its plumage, but like the former it frequents 

 the sea-shore, often in considerable numbers, 

 when it seeks its food, which consists of small 

 molluscous animals. 



Besides these there are the tribe of Mergansers, 

 of which there are four species known on our shores. 

 Of these the Smew is the smallest, as well as the 

 most common. Its colour is white, diversified 

 with black and grey, the bill is slate-coloured, the 

 face is black, and the head, neck, and breast, 

 white ; on the head is a crest of feathers, partly 

 greenish-black and partly white. Another and 

 larger species is the Eed-breasted Merganser. 

 The head and throat of this bird are green, the 

 lower part of the neck and the breast are chestnut 

 colour, and the body and wings are diversified 

 with white, black, and brown. The largest species 

 is the Goosander, which in its colours bears a 

 considerable resemblance to the last-mentioned 

 species. 



The divers and the grebes have also their 

 representatives at various parts of our shores. 



